The Wire

Lengthed public health restrictions in NSW and VIC have put significant pressure on existing mental health support services. As lockdown restrictions in Greater Sydney enter their seventh week and Melbourne undertakes its sixth lockdown; the federal government has subsidized ten mental health pop-up clinics in Sydney and extended the funding of twelve clinics in Victoria.

Monash COVID-19 Mental Health Research Group recently released their findings on the burden of severe COVID-19 restrictions on individuals’ mental health. They found the occurrence of depressive and anxiety symptoms in Victorians during July and August last year were significantly higher.